Five More Questions from "The Good News and Marriage"

A few weeks ago I spoke about marriage, the gospel, and how the church ought to love and consider our LGBTQ neighbors and friends. In response I took your questions. The first five questions and answers can be found here ... the second set of five questions and answers are below. Thanks so much for your thoughtful questions about an extremely important subject. Let me know if you have any follow-up thoughts or questions!

From Pastor Jason: A Few Big Thank Yous

Thank you to all those helped with another incredibly successful and generous evening of Harvest Carnival festivities. It was so good to watch you all love on our city.

From Pastor Jason: A Couple Updates

Thank you all so very much for all the congratulatory texts, cheerful Facebook comments, and most of all your prayers. Laura, Glori, and I were thrilled to have welcomed Jedidiah David Helveston into the world on Sunday morning (8:30 AM, 7 lbs 12.8 ounces, and 20 inches). I am also grateful that my son chose to show up on a Sunday when the Forty-Niners had a bye. Laura is doing very well and we're still not sure if Glori thinks she is now a big sister or a mommy. All answers to our prayers. Our hearts are full. Thanks for all the ways you have been in it all with us. Can’t wait for Jeddy to meet the Dwell family!

10 Reasons Why You Need to Go to the Integrating Faith and Work Class

This Sunday we will begin a six week class on Integrating Faith and Work. The class will loosely follow Tim Keller's Every Good Endeavor but it will also draw from some other great resources like Os Guinness' The Call and Andy Crouch's Culture Making.  The class begins at 9:30a in the small fellowship hall downstairs. But let me tell you why you should go.

1) You work too much
The pressures to work A LOT are great in Silicon Valley. This is the case for most of us, which means we have little margin for personal pursuits.

2) You don't work enough
Maybe because you can't find a job or maybe because you are giving minimal effort for a job you barely like.

3) You tend to think your job and your faith are not related
Is there anything really that the Bible has to say about a basic job where you punch in and punch out? What about a basic corporate job in tech where you are not faced with major ethical issues like in politics, medicine, or education? There is PLENTY that can be said.

4) You think you are going to change the world
Careful Google. Last I checked, God has the copyright on omniscience. But what does that mean on a day to day basis?

5) You think your company is revolutionizing the industry and how we live
Maybe it is. The iPhone has been a game changer but what does that mean for human flourishing?

6) You struggle with how beneficial your company's products are for humanity
Is it only missionaries and pastors that do work for the kingdom? Technology, and in particular software development, seem so disconnected from their effects on people. Is there really anything significant about that kind of work?

7) You think increasing profit is the most important way to serve your company
Profit margins are very important, but are there other ways to serve your company, investors, and God beyond a successful business?

8) You think the best way to honor God is evangelizing your coworkers
It isn't. Shocking I know. Come to the class.

9) You think being a good employee is all there is to it
It is nothing less than that but ought there be something distinctive about being a Christian at your particular job?

10) Because I am teaching it
And I get really discouraged when people don't show up for my classes. Sensitive, I know.

From Pastor Jason: Four Things You Need to Know, Right Now

ONE | Harvest Carnival. You know it, you love it, and it’s here once again. Our annual Harvest Carnival is coming, this Thursday on October 31st (aka Reformation Day). Come, bring your friends, serve our neighbors, and enjoy a great night of games and candy. If you have questions or need more information, check out this page on our website.

10 Reasons Why You Should Go to the Overview of Minor Prophets Class

1) You wish you knew your Bible better.

Have you thought to yourself, "I wish I knew the Bible as well as they do."? Perhaps you have read the whole Bible but you really didn't study it or understand a lot of it. A brief survey over a book of the Bible is precisely what is done in seminaries to train people for ministry.

2) Having a basic outline of a book greatly enhances personal study and reflection

When I was in seminary we often had to memorize outlines for exams. At the time many of us felt like this was a silly exercise but in hindsight, nothing has helped me more in understanding the whole thrust of a book of the Bible. Outlines help you remember where passages are. They help you wrestle with the central themes of the book and the flow of thought so you can keep CONTEXT in mind when looking at a single verse.

3) Knowing the major themes of a book helps to understand its message and application

Every book in the Bible is written for particular circumstances and people. Paul does not use the word "works" in the same way James does. John uses contrasts like light and dark. An overview class helps you identify the major themes and how they may apply today.

4) You would like to more a more in-depth study but don't know where to begin

Included in our overview class is recommended commentaries and other resources that may help you probe a book more further.

5) You need a better understanding of how the parts fit into the whole

Many people may be familiar with certain verses or phrases in the Bible but they neglect knowing the context of that verse. Additionally, it is often difficult to see how a particular book contributes to the whole message of the Bible. An overview helps to explain why God gave us books like Nahum, Daniel, or Habakuk.

6) You don't have time to go through the whole Bible in a reasonable amount of time

The Bible is worthy of a lifetime of study and worthy dedicating time to parse every word for spiritual benefit. At the same time, a brief overview can be just as spiritually beneficial and in some cases better. A person can parse every word as lose sight of the forest for the trees.

7) You have never studied the Minor Prophets
Admit it. You never have. Christians these days are woefully ignorant of this portion of scripture.

8) John Lunsford is a good teacher
There are a lot of wonderful wise saints that sit in his class no matter how many times they have heard it before. It is always fresh and engaging. Get to know one of our elders and the older wiser saints in the class.

9) It will bring clarity to how God was working redemptively then and setting the stage for the coming of Jesus

10) You need to be reminded we are Israel, our society is Israel who have wandered and rebelled against God.
Only the arrogant and foolish think there are not things to be learned and sanctified by in the Minor Prophets. There is hope, but you cannot appreciate the hope if you don't work through all the horrible sin that the bulk of the prophets focus on. God's judgment always has redemptive aims but you can't appreciate it if you are not in touch with your flesh still waging war against your soul.

Questions and Answers from "The Good News and Marriage"

On Sunday I preached on "The Good News and Marriage." Prior to Sunday I understood this particular subject would be impossible to appropriately cover in a single morning. So I thought it would be helpful to ask you, the good folks of Dwell, what sorts of questions came to mind during the sermon. I ventured to answer ten questions, but soon realized that was more than I could conquer in a single post. So here are the first five questions and answers; I'll answer another five by the middle of next week. Thanks so much for participating! I hope you find these helpful and let me know if you have any additional questions ...